1 And when tliey came nigh to Je- rusalem, unto Bethnhage and Beth- any, at the mount ot Olives, he send- etii forth two of his disciples,
2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye he entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied where- on never man sat ; loose him and bring Mm.
3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this ? say ye that the Lord hath need of him ; and straightway he will send him hither.
4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door with- out in a place where two ways met ; and they loose him.
5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye loosing the colt ?
6 And they said unto them even as
Jesus had commanded : and they let them go.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him ; and he sat upon him.
8 And many spread their garments in the way : and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And they'that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna ; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord :
10 Blessed he the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosanna in the highest.
11 And Jesus entered into Jerusa- lem, and into the temple : and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
The event described in these verses, is a singular ex- ception in the history of our Lord's earthly ministry. Generally speaking, we see Jesus withdrawing Himself from public notice — often passing His time in the remote parts of Galilee — not unfrequently abiding in the wilder- ness— and so fulfilling the prophecy, that He should " not cry, nor strive, nor let His voice be heard in the streets." Here, and here only, our Lord appears to drop His private character, and of His own choice to call public attention to Himself. He deliberately makes a public entry into Jerusalem, at the head of His disciples. He voluntarily rides into the holy city, surrounded by a vast multitude, crying, Hosanna, like king David returning to his palace in triumph. (2 Sam. xix. 40.) All this too was done at a time when myriads of Jews were gathered out of every land to Jerusalem, to keep the Passover. We may well believe that the holy city rang with the